Get over to Chez Scholars’ Lab for the hottest GIS workshops in town. And fear not, our references may be from the nineteen hundreds, but much like the themes of that movie, the content of these workshops is ahead of its time.

Spring semester is when we shift gears and turn our workshop focus to ArcGIS Online (AGOL), Esri’s GIS solution for the cloud. AGOL is browser-based, eliminating any Windows vs. Mac shenanigans, and allowing us to provide temporary access to members of the community that don’t have UVA credentials. Not sure what the difference is between ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online? Mark Patterson sums it up well here. Still not sure? As always, feel free to contact us with any questions.

• Sessions are one hour and assume participants have no previous experience using GIS. These will be hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step tutorials.
• We will meet in-person in the Scholars’ Lab (Shannon Library 308) on Wednesdays from 2PM to 3PM, and openly welcome the UVA and larger Charlottesville community.
• Walk-ins are welcome, but due to limited seating, we strongly encourage registering using the links below or at our Events page. If you’re waitlisted, please contact us at uvagis@virginia.edu.
• Class materials will be made available on the Spring 2026 Workshops tab of our Teaching Resources page.
• We will not be offering a virtual option this semester. We apologize for any inconvenience.
• Please note, these workshops are not intended for course instruction. If you’re here at the direction of your professor, or if you’re teaching a class and would like to include GIS instruction, please contact us at uvagis@virginia.edu.

January 28th - Introduction to ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Online is the cloud-based younger sibling of ArcGIS Pro. It can’t do some of the less flashy, GISy kind of things, but it’s in the cloud, it’s connected, which adds all the hip functionality we’ve come to expect. With ArcGIS Online, you can find and create spatial data, maps, and applications. Access a limited but powerful set of analysis tools that take advantage of cloud computing and pre-configured data and resources. Share and collaborate with small groups or with the world. It’s an easy-to-use entry into the world of GIS, all from the comfort of your browser.

Register Here!

February 4th - Find and Create Spatial Data

Start your data search with AGOL’s collection of geographic information from around the globe. Not finding the data you seek? We’ll cover how to create your own data, and how to share it with the world.

Register Here!

February 11th - Collect Data in the Field

Whether you are crowd sourcing spatial data or performing survey work, having an application that records location and uploads data directly to a mapping application is incredibly useful.

Register Here!

February 18th - Web Mapping and Visualization

Pop-ups, filters, clustering, advanced symbology. There are many ways to personalize your maps, enhancing the story your data tells. We’ll dive into some of the more advanced functionality that allows you to fine-tune your Web Maps. Don’t be put off by “advanced”, though, this session is beginner friendly.

Register Here!

February 25th - Spatial Analysis with ArcGIS Online

Perform basic analysis with tools like Buffer and Spatial Join. Or, enhance your data, taking advantage of the always up-to-date elevation, streets, and demographics data available in ArcGIS Online with tools like Create Viewshed, Find Nearest, and Enrich. Come for the learning and stay for stories about the old days when we had to create all that data ourselves. Uphill. Both ways!!

Register Here!

March 4th - Spring Break, No Workshop!

Enjoy a break. We’ll see you next week!

March 11th - Instant Apps and More

Dip your toes into the world of web GIS applications with AGOL’s quick-configure app builders. We’ll explore a few of the many options for enriching your map and data with focused applications. From time animation to interactive multimedia, these easy-to-use templates and builders take your data to the next level.

Register Here!

March 18th - Introduction to ArcGIS StoryMaps

StoryMaps is a website builder that makes it easy to add narritive and multimedia context to your ArcGIS Online maps. Whether telling a story, giving a tour, or comparing historic maps, StoryMaps is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to create a polished web presentation.

Register Here!

Applications are now open for the 2026-2027 Digital Humanities Fellowship. Find More Details Below.

The application deadline for fellowships to be held during the 2026-2027 academic year is February 15th, 2026. More details on how to apply at the end of this page.

If you’re interested in learning more about the fellowship or have questions about anything you read below, please consider attending the information session for the 2026-2027 cohort - December 10, 2025 from 1:00-2:00PM. Please register to attend. You are, of course, encouraged to write for an individual meeting to discuss your application so that you can begin your application.

The Digital Humanities Fellowship supports advanced doctoral students doing innovative work in the digital humanities at the University of Virginia. The Scholars’ Lab offers Grad Fellows advice and assistance with the creation and analysis of digital content, as well as consultation on intellectual property issues and best practices in digital scholarship and DH software development. The highly competitive Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities is designed to advance the humanities and provide emerging digital scholars with an opportunity for growth.

Fellows join our vibrant community, have a voice in intellectual programming for the Scholars’ Lab, and participate in one formal colloquium at the Library per fellowship year. Consistent collaboration and engagement with the Scholars’ Lab community and staff is expected through the year. While residence on Grounds during the fellowship can help facilitate this, it is not required. Those who need to live elsewhere with periodic trips to campus should include in their cover letter a plan for how to ensure regular progress on the fellowship project.

The Scholars’ Lab Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities carries with it an award of $20,000. A significant portion of the award (approximately $15,000) must be dedicated to providing for two semesters’ teaching relief in discussion with your DGS. The remaining amount of the Scholars’ Lab award will be distributed as a single cash payment, and the rest of your support package from the graduate school will be maintained as normal. As a part of your application, your DGS should be made aware of your intention to use part of the fellowship to relieve two semesters’ worth of teaching if awarded. GSAS students will typically apply to this fellowship in their fifth year of the PhD for a sixth year of funding in conjunction with the Scholars’ Lab.

History

Since its beginnings in 2007, the Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities has supported a number of students. Past fellowship winners can be found on our People page. In the past, the program itself has been supported by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The fellowship is currently sustained by the Jeffrey C. Walker Library Fund for Technology in the Humanities, and the Matthew & Nancy Walker Library Fund.

Eligibility, Conditions, and Requirements

• Applicants must be ABD, having completed all course requirements and been admitted to candidacy for the doctorate in the humanities, social sciences or the arts at the University of Virginia.
• The Scholars’ Lab Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities carries with it an award of $20,000. A significant portion of the award (approximately $15,000) must be dedicated to providing for two semesters’ teaching relief in discussion with your DGS. The remaining amount of the award will be distributed as a single cash payment. As a part of your application, your DGS should be made aware of your intention to use part of the fellowship to relieve two semesters’ worth of teaching if awarded.
  • The funding packages for non-GSAS students operate on a different funding cycle and with different terms. As such, students outside of GSAS should confirm their eligibility with the Lab and their program director prior to applying.
• Prior experience as a Praxis Fellow is not required. Nor is it a barrier. Applicants are expected to have digital humanities experience, though this background could take a variety of forms. Experience can include formal fellowships like the Praxis Program, but it could also include work on a collaborative digital project, comfort with programing and code management, public scholarship, or critical engagement with digital tools.
• Applicants must be enrolled full time in the year for which they are applying.
• A faculty advisor must review and approve the scholarly content of the proposal.
• The student’s Director of Graduate Studies must approve the student’s application and made aware of their intention to relieve their teaching obligations through the fellowship.
• We welcome and encourage applicants to discuss how your particular backgrounds and identities, whatever that might mean for you, factor into your unique ability to contribute to the program.

How to Apply

A complete application package will include the following materials:

• a cover letter (roughly 2 pages single-spaced), addressed to the selection committee, containing:
  • a summary of the applicant’s plan for use of digital technologies in his or her dissertation research;
  • a summary of the applicant’s experience with digital projects;
  • a description of Scholars’ Lab staff whose expertise will be relevant and useful to the proposed project;
  • a description of how the fellowship would be transformative for your work and your career;
  • and, most importantly, a description of what you propose to do with us over the course of the fellowship year. Typically this takes the form of a digital project with an associated research plan or proposed course of study.
• a dissertation abstract (no more than one page);
• a short review of relevant digital projects and scholarship with which your proposed work for the year will be in dialogue (no more than two pages);
• a brief note (a PDF or screenshot of an email is fine) from the applicant’s dissertation director attesting to the fact that applicant has discussed the project with them and they support the application;
• a brief note (a PDF or screenshot of an email is fine) from the applicant’s department chair stating that they are aware the student is applying for the fellowship and support the application (given that holding the fellowship can affect teaching rosters);
• and your availability for a 30-minute finalist interview slot during the following times: TBD - check back in soon. This availability should be communicated in the cover letter. We can work out scheduling difficulties, so please suggest alternative times if the announced slots do not work for you.

Completed application materials can be uploaded through the GSAS application portal. Please do consider this application to be part of a process - the beginning of a conversation about how we can work together.

Applicants with questions about Grad Fellowships, the application process, or their eligibility are encouraged to write soon for clarification.

Jet on in to our Fall GIS Workshop Series. In between arguments among Chris and I about which one of us is Maverick and which one is Goose, we’ll be covering basic GIS operations. I know Goose is from the first movie, but I can’t remember any other characters from the sequel. I think Jon Hamm is in it?

This semester we’ll primarily be GISing with the desktop GIS software ArcGIS Pro, covering basic use and techniques that will get you comfortable and exploring on your own. If you’re interested in ArcGIS Online, we’ll briefly cover that in the last couple of sessions, and will do a deeper dive in the Spring. Not sure what the difference is? ArcGIS Pro is a Windows-only desktop program that you install on your (Windows) computer. ArcGIS Online is a web-based GIS platform that you access through a web browser on nearly any device. Mark Patterson sums it up well here. Still not sure? As always, feel free to ping us with any questions.

• Sessions are one hour and assume participants have no previous experience using GIS. These will be hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step tutorials.
• We will meet in-person in the Scholars’ Lab (Shannon Library 308) on Wednesdays from 2PM to 3PM, and openly welcome the UVA and larger Charlottesville community.
• We will provide laptops for easy access to ArcGIS Pro.
• Walk-ins are welcome, but due to a limited number of laptops, we strongly encourage registering using the links below or at our Events page. If you’re waitlisted, please contact us at uvagis@virginia.edu.
• We will not be offering a virtual option this semester. We apologize for any inconvenience.
• Please note, these workshops are not intended for course instruction. If you’re here at the direction of your professor, or if you’re teaching a class and would like to include GIS instruction, please contact us at uvagis@virginia.edu.

September 10th - Making Your First Map with ArcGIS Pro

Here’s your chance to get started with geographic information systems software in a friendly, jargon-free environment. This workshop introduces the skills you need to make your own maps. Along the way you’ll get familiar with the desktop GIS application ArcGIS Pro, and a gentle introduction to cartography. You’ll leave with your own cartographic masterpieces and tips for learning more in your pursuit of mappiness at UVA.

Register Here!

September 17th - Putting Old Maps and Aerial Photos on Your Map: Georeferencing in ArcGIS Pro

Would you like to see historical maps overlaid on modern aerial photography? Do you need to extract features of a map for use in GIS? Georeferencing is the first step. We will show you how to take a scan of a paper map and align in it in ArcGIS.

Register Here!

September 24th - Getting Your Data on a Map, Plotting Lat/Lon Coordinates

Do you have a spreadsheet of Lat/Lon coordinates you would like to see on a map? We will show you how to do that and more. ArcGIS Pro makes it easy to take your tabular data and generate stylized points on a map.

Register Here!

October 1st - Mapping Street Addresses (Geocoding), and More Spatial Things

Do you have a list of street addresses crying out to be mapped? Have a list of zip codes or census tracts you wish to associate with other data? We’ll start with addresses and other things spatial and end with points on a map, ready for visualization and analysis.

Register Here!

October 8th - Taking Control of Your Spatial Data: Editing in ArcGIS Pro

Until we perfect that magic “extract all those lines from this paper map” button we’re stuck using editing tools to get that job done. If you’re lucky, someone else has done the work to create your points, lines, and polygons but maybe they need your magic touch to make them better. This session shows you how to create and modify vector features in ArcGIS Pro. We’ll explore tools to create new points, lines, and polygons and to edit existing datasets.

Register Here!

October 15th - Easy Demographics

Need to make a quick demographic map? This workshop will show you how easily navigate Social Explorer. This powerful online application makes it easy to create maps with contemporary and historic census data and religious information.

Register Here!

October 22nd - Introduction to ArcGIS Online

With ArcGIS Online, you can use and create maps and scenes, access ready-to-use maps, layers and analytics, publish data as web layers, collaborate and share, access maps from any device, make maps with your spreadsheet data, customize the ArcGIS Online website, and view status reports.

Register Here!

October 29th - ArcGIS Story Maps

ArcGIS StoryMaps is a spatially enabled website/application builder that allows you to add narrative and multimedia context to your ArcGIS Online maps (or locational context to your narrative and multimedia content, depending on how your brain works). Whether telling a story, giving a tour or comparing historical maps, ArcGIS StoryMaps is an easy-to-use builder that creates polished presentations.

Register Here!

We’re delighted to announce UVA Library’s Digital Humanities Center (an umbrella under which Scholars’ Lab sits) has a new Faculty Director joining our team this week: Lisa Blackmore!

After an international, competitive search, Dr. Blackmore joined UVA’s College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences as Professor of Spanish, and is a new member of the Environmental Humanities cohort as well.

Scholars’ Lab staff are especially excited about Blackmore’s leadership, curation, and collaboration given her commitment to social justice and care as core aspects of effective scholarship; experience facilitating collaborative and generative community events; and deep expertise bridging public humanities, environmental sciences, data, art, and history in her impactful work. Since 2018, Blackmore has been the founder/director of entre—ríos (Between Rivers), an international digital platform focusing on bodies of water in Latin America. Her research is in the field of environmental humanities, with a focus on cultural histories of human-river relations, ecocritical analysis of art and literature, and creative collaborations between art, science, and communities.

Blackmore joins the directors of Scholars’ Lab and IATH partnering on the Library’s digital humanities initiatives, and will lead new and help sustain existing strategic initiatives leveraging this partnership. You can read more about her work and plans in UVA Library’s announcement.

Applications are now open for Praxis Fellowships to be held during the 2026-2027 academic year. Further details below about the application.

If you’re interested in learning more about the fellowship or have questions about anything you read below, please consider attending the information session for the 2026-2027 cohort - Monday, September 8th, 2025 from 11:00-12:00 on Zoom. Please register to attend.

The Praxis Program is a unique and well-known training program in the international digital humanities, offered by the UVa Library’s Scholars’ Lab. This fellowship supports a team of University of Virginia PhD students each year as they explore various aspects of digital humanities together. Under the guidance of Scholars’ Lab faculty and staff, Praxis fellows conceive, develop, and share a range of digital humanities activities over the course of the year. Our fellows blog about their experiences and develop increased facility with project management, collaboration, and the public humanities, even as they tackle (most for the first time, and with the mentorship of our faculty and staff) new programming languages, tools, and digital methods. Praxis aims to equip fellows with the skills necessary for future research, teaching, and administration within digital humanities.

Praxis training takes a variety of shapes meant to reflect the full-range of DH work. As a part of their training with us, student cohorts regularly publish a range of values statements describing the intentional communities they want to build together. They also design and teach digital humanities workshops based on their own interests as a means to exercise minimalist pedagogical approaches to DH. Students design speculative projects and events that might go on to be implemented by the Lab. They also participate in a range of technical and design activities meant to reflect the range of digital practices they will encounter in their research. At times, Praxis teams have developed and launched specific, named projects. Fellows join our vibrant community and have a voice in intellectual programming for the Scholars’ Lab.

Beginning as a 2011-2013 pilot project supported by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to UVa Library’s Scholarly Communication Institute, the Praxis Program is now generously supported by UVa Library and GSAS. The Praxis Program is a core module of PHD+, a university-wide initiative to prepare PhD students across all disciplines for long-term career success. The work Praxis Fellows undertake over the course of their fellowship year may be submitted in partial fulfillment of the portfolio requirement for UVA’s Graduate Certificate in Digital Humanities and supplements the curricular work undertaken in the that program.

Eligibility

The Praxis fellowship comes with an award of $10,000 distributed during the fellowship year. Fellows may work with their DGS and GSAS to determine whether this amount will be taken on top of their base package, or relieve the fellow of a GTA appointment. In either scenario, fellows are expected to devote roughly 10 hours per week to work in the Scholars’ Lab.

All doctoral students at the University of Virginia working within humanities disciplines, on topics demonstrably connected to the humanities, or working in adjacent fields are eligible to apply. Students outside of GSAS or with other concerns should reach out to Brandon Walsh to discuss their eligibility given their particular circumstances.

Applicants must be enrolled full time in the year for which they are applying. In addition, applicants must be capable of attending weekly in-person meetings in both the fall and spring semesters of their fellowship year (though we can certainly accommodate travel needs within reason). We welcome and encourage applicants to discuss how your particular backgrounds and identities, whatever that might mean for you, factor into your unique ability to contribute to the program.

N.b. - Praxis students are not expected to come in with particular technical training or experiences - we cover that over the course of the fellowship year! Prior experience with digital technology is only one part of an application and should not keep anyone from applying. Everyone brings something different to the team, and your strengths in critical thinking about media, collaboration, project development, and more could be great ways for an application to shine. Concerned students are encouraged to reach out to Brandon Walsh, our Head of Student Programs, to discuss their backgrounds or eligibility.

How to Apply

The application process for Praxis is simple! You apply individually, and we assemble the team, through a process that includes group interviews and input from a committee about your application. To start, we ask for a letter of intent (roughly 2 pages single-spaced). The letter should include:

• What brings you to us? - a description of the applicant’s curiosity in the program, (could include a description of proposed use of digital technologies in research if relevant, but interest and curiosity can be valid starting points as well);
• How do you work? - a narrative about how the applicant approaches collaboration and learning;
• What do you bring to the table? - summary of what skills, interests, methods the applicant will bring to the Praxis Program;
• What do you want out of this? - summary of what the applicant hopes to gain as a Praxis Fellow, both in the short and the long term;
• When can you meet? - your availability on the days and times we’ve identified for group interviews: TBD - Check back closer to the application deadline! (you will only have to participate in one hour-long group interview);
• Anything else we should know? - pronouns, a name you go by other than the one on your email, any other experiences or backgrounds you want to make sure we are aware of, or anything else you would like to share.

In addition, we ask for a brief note (a PDF or screenshot of an email is fine) from the applicant’s department chair stating that they are aware the student is applying for the fellowship and support the application (given that the application can affect teaching rosters).

The best Praxis applications are the ones that go beyond listing the skills and research one hopes to bring or take away from the experience. Instead, focusing on weaving those elements into a narrative of how the program connects to your life plans and how you, in turn, connect to the spirit of the program. We recommend applicants start by reading our charter and a blog post on “Questions to ask When Applying.”

Questions about Praxis Fellowships and the application process should be directed to Brandon Walsh. Completed application materials are due November 1st and can be uploaded through the GSAS application portal. Please do consider this application to be part of a process - the beginning of a conversation about how we can work together. We highly encourage students to write to Brandon Walsh to discuss their interest in the program and how the Lab can contribute to their professional development. Together we can begin to discuss how the Lab can be a part of your time here, with Praxis or otherwise.

Or is it Happily ever Mapter? Definitely not Mappily Ever Mapter though, that would be silly. Anyway, if your goal is to learn GIS, this workshop series may have the fairytale ending you’re hoping for. If nothing else, you’ll leave these sessions feeling spatial.

Spring will allegedy be springing - depending on when you’re reading this, you may have missed or forgotten the mini ice age we are currently experiencing. Regardless, it’s a new year and it’s a good enough time for us to shift gears and turn our workshop focus to ArcGIS Online (AGOL), Esri’s GIS solution for the cloud. AGOL is browser-based, eliminating any Windows vs. Mac shenanigans, and allowing us to provide temporary access to members of the community that don’t have UVA credentials.

• Registration is required, please use the links below or check out our Events page to sign up.
• All sessions are one hour and assume participants have no previous experience using GIS. They will be hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step tutorials.
• Sessions will be taught on Tuesdays from 1PM to 2PM in Shannon Library 308 and virtually and are free and open to the UVA and larger Charlottesville community.
• Please bring your laptop. If you don’t have a laptop, we’re able to provide one.

January 28th - Introduction to ArcGIS Online

ArcGIS Online is the cloud-based younger sibling of ArcGIS Pro. It can’t do some of the less flashy, GISy kind of things, but it’s in the cloud, it’s connected, which adds all the hip functionality we’ve come to expect. With ArcGIS Online, you can find and create spatial data, maps, and applications. Access a limited but powerful set of analysis tools that take advantage of cloud computing and pre-configured data and resources. Share and collaborate with small groups or with the world. It’s an easy-to-use entry into the world of GIS, all from the comfort of your browser.

Register Here!

February 4th - Find and Create Spatial Data

Start your data search with AGOL’s collection of geographic information from around the globe. Not finding the data you seek? We’ll cover how to create your own data, and how to share it with the world.

Register Here!

February 11th - Collect Data in the Field

Whether you are crowd sourcing spatial data or performing survey work, having an application that records location and uploads data directly to a mapping application is incredibly useful.

Register Here!

February 18th - Web Mapping and Visualization

Pop-ups, filters, clustering, advanced symbology. There are many ways to personalize your maps, enhancing the story your data tells. We’ll dive into some of the advanced functionality that allows you to fine-tune your Web Maps.

Register Here!

February 25th - Spatial Analysis with ArcGIS Online

Perform basic analysis with tools like Buffer and Spatial Join. Or, enhance your data, taking advantage of the always up-to-date elevation, streets, and demographics data available in ArcGIS Online with tools like Create Viewshed, Find Nearest, and Enrich. Come for the learning and stay for stories about the old days when we had to create all that data ourselves. Uphill. Both ways!!

Register Here!

March 4th - Instant Apps and More

Dip your toes into the world of web GIS applications with AGOL’s quick-configure app builders. We’ll explore a few of the many options for enriching your map and data with focused applications. From time animation to interactive multimedia, these easy-to-use templates and builders take your data to the next level.

Register Here!

March 11th - Spring Break, No Workshop!

Enjoy a break. We’ll see you next week!

March 18th - App Your Map with Experience Builder

Continuing with the app theme, we’ll go beyond templates into custom application creation. Would you like to make a custom online mapping application without having to code? We would, and do. ArcGIS Experience Builder allows users of all levels to drag and drop tools to create responsive mapping applications, from simple to expansive.

Register Here!

March 25th - Introduction to ArcGIS StoryMaps

StoryMaps is a web application builder that makes it easy to add narritive and multimedia context to your ArcGIS Online maps. Whether telling a story, giving a tour, or comparing historic maps, StoryMaps is an easy-to-use tool that allows you to create a polished web presentation.

Register Here!

Applications are now open for the 2025-2026 Digital Humanities Fellowship. Find More Details Below.

The application deadline for fellowships to be held during the 2025-2026 academic year is February 15th, 2025. More details on how to apply at the end of this page.

If you’re interested in learning more about the fellowship or have questions about anything you read below, please consider attending the information session for the 2025-2026 cohort - January 15, 2025 from 1:00-2:00PM. Please register to attend. You are, of course, encouraged to write for an individual meeting to discuss your application so that you can begin your application.

The Digital Humanities Fellowship supports advanced doctoral students doing innovative work in the digital humanities at the University of Virginia. The Scholars’ Lab offers Grad Fellows advice and assistance with the creation and analysis of digital content, as well as consultation on intellectual property issues and best practices in digital scholarship and DH software development. The highly competitive Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities is designed to advance the humanities and provide emerging digital scholars with an opportunity for growth.

Fellows join our vibrant community, have a voice in intellectual programming for the Scholars’ Lab, and participate in one formal colloquium at the Library per fellowship year. Consistent collaboration and engagement with the Scholars’ Lab community and staff is expected through the year. While residence on Grounds during the fellowship can help facilitate this, it is not required. Those who need to live elsewhere with periodic trips to campus should include in their cover letter a plan for how to ensure regular progress on the fellowship project.

We have received some questions about how the Scholars’ Lab Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities will be affected by new departmental support packages. Going forward, including for the coming academic year, the Scholars’ Lab fellowship will provide $25,972 in living support during the academic year, and the package will include health insurance, fees, and tuition remission. No teaching is required as a part of the fellowship. Students will apply to this fellowship in their fifth year of the PhD for a sixth year of funding in conjunction with the Scholars’ Lab.

History

Since its beginnings in 2007, the Graduate Fellowship in Digital Humanities has supported a number of students. Past fellowship winners can be found on our People page. In the past, the program itself has been supported by a challenge grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The fellowship is currently sustained by the Jeffrey C. Walker Library Fund for Technology in the Humanities, and the Matthew & Nancy Walker Library Fund.

Eligibility, Conditions, and Requirements

• Applicants must be ABD, having completed all course requirements and been admitted to candidacy for the doctorate in the humanities, social sciences or the arts at the University of Virginia.
• Going forward, including for the coming academic year, the Scholars’ Lab fellowship will provide $25,972 in living support during the academic year, and the package will include health insurance, fees, and tuition remission. No teaching is required as a part of the fellowship. Students will apply to this fellowship in their fifth year of the PhD for a sixth year of funding in conjunction with the Scholars’ Lab.
  • The funding packages for non-GSAS students operate on a different funding cycle and with different terms. As such, students outside of GSAS should confirm their eligibility with the Lab and their program director prior to applying.
• Previously being a Praxis Fellow is not required. Nor is it a barrier. Applicants are expected to have digital humanities experience, though this background could take a variety of forms. Experience can include formal fellowships like the Praxis Program, but it could also include work on a collaborative digital project, comfort with programing and code management, public scholarship, or critical engagement with digital tools.
• Applicants must be enrolled full time in the year for which they are applying.
• A faculty advisor must review and approve the scholarly content of the proposal.
• The student’s Director of Graduate Studies must approve the student’s application.
• We welcome and encourage applicants to discuss how your particular backgrounds and identities, whatever that might mean for you, factor into your unique ability to contribute to the program.

How to Apply

A complete application package will include the following materials:

• a cover letter (roughly 2 pages single-spaced), addressed to the selection committee, containing:
  • a summary of the applicant’s plan for use of digital technologies in his or her dissertation research;
  • a summary of the applicant’s experience with digital projects;
  • a description of Scholars’ Lab staff whose expertise will be relevant and useful to the proposed project;
  • a description of how the fellowship would be transformative for your work and your career;
  • and, most importantly, a description of what you propose to do with us over the course of the fellowship year. Typically this takes the form of a digital project with an associated research plan or proposed course of study.
• a dissertation abstract (no more than one page);
• a short review of relevant digital projects and scholarship with which your proposed work for the year will be in dialogue (no more than two pages);
• a brief note (a PDF or screenshot of an email is fine) from the applicant’s dissertation director attesting to the fact that applicant has discussed the project with them and they support the application;
• a brief note (a PDF or screenshot of an email is fine) from the applicant’s department chair stating that they are aware the student is applying for the fellowship and support the application (given that holding the fellowship can affect teaching rosters);
• and your availability for a 30-minute interview slot during the following times: TBD SOON - CHECK BACK BEFORE SUBMITTING. This should be communicated in the cover letter. These time slots will be used for finalist interviews. We’re aiming for a quicker process this year by announcing those interview times in advance, though we can work out alternatives if scheduling difficulties arise. If you are unavailable then, please suggest other times on or around those days.

Completed application materials can be uploaded through the GSAS application portal. Please do consider this application to be part of a process - the beginning of a conversation about how we can work together.

Applicants with questions about Grad Fellowships, the application process, or their eligibility are encouraged to write soon for clarification.

We’re delighted to welcome Claudia Berger as Scholars’ Lab Virtual Artist-in-Residence!

Berger will virtually present their data quilt project, “Footpath for the People?”, on 4/15/2025. The event will be a hybrid one, with a viewing of the completed data quilt installed in the lab following the Zoom talk, for those able to attend in-person.

Berger describes their planned project: “This quilt will explore the Appalachian Trail and who this ‘public’ resource was actually designed for. It will look at the history of the trail and through-hikers like Emma Gatewood, who popularized the trail, as well as how it was created and how it is used today. In particular the project will explore how the trail intersects with histories of race, gender, and Indigenous rights of both the trail as a whole and in the specific states is passes through. The quilt will be paired with a zine that will connect viewers to more information and resources about the trail.”

To read about related past work, please see Berger’s and collaborator Gabriella Evergreen’s recent data embodiment project “Pockets of Information”.

Claudia Berger is the Digital Humanities Librarian at Sarah Lawrence College and a Visiting Assistant Professor at Pratt Institute’s School of Information. Their research centers on digital environmental humanities and how we can use digital methods to tell stories about the environment, as well as data physicalization.

More details and registration information to come later in December or January, for this Spring 2025 event.

Now what you hear is not a test, we’re mapping to the beat! With apologies to The Sugarhill Gang, I welcome you to our 2024 GIS workshop series. We can’t promise any beats or boogieing, but there will be mapping. Lots of it. And if you’re so inclined, plenty of “map” puns (map battle) to ponder.

This semester we’ll be learning common GIS tasks primarily using the desktop GIS software ArcGIS Pro, covering basic use and techniques that will get you comfortable and exploring on your own. If you’re interested in ArcGIS Online, we’ll briefly cover that in the last couple of sessions, and will do a deeper dive in the Spring. Not sure what the difference is? ArcGIS Pro is a Windows-only desktop program that you install on your (Windows) computer. ArcGIS Online is a web-based GIS platform that you access through a web browser on nearly any device. Mark Patterson sums it up well here. Still not sure? As always, feel free to ping us with any questions.

• Registration is required, please use the links below or check out our Events page to sign up.
• All sessions are one hour and assume participants have no previous experience using GIS. They will be hands-on demonstrations with step-by-step tutorials.
• Sessions will be taught on Wednesdays from 2PM to 3PM in Shannon 317 and virtually and are free and open to the UVA and larger Charlottesville community.
• We will provide laptops for in-person attendees. In-person registration is limited to the number of laptops we have available. However, if you’re waitlisted, please contact us at uvagis@virginia.edu. Virtual attendees please scroll to the bottom for information about accessing ArcGIS Pro.

September 11th - Making Your First Map with ArcGIS Pro

Here’s your chance to get started with geographic information systems software in a friendly, jargon-free environment. This workshop introduces the skills you need to make your own maps. Along the way you’ll get familiar with the desktop GIS application ArcGIS Pro, and a gentle introduction to cartography. You’ll leave with your own cartographic masterpieces and tips for learning more in your pursuit of mappiness at UVA.

Register Here!

September 18th - Putting Old Maps and Aerial Photos on Your Map: Georeferencing in ArcGIS Pro

Would you like to see historical maps overlaid on modern aerial photography? Do you need to extract features of a map for use in GIS? Georeferencing is the first step. We will show you how to take a scan of a paper map and align in it in ArcGIS.

Register Here!

September 25th - Getting Your Data on a Map

Do you have a spreadsheet of Lat/Lon coordinates you would like to see on a map? We will show you how to do that and more. ArcGIS Pro makes it easy to take your tabular data and generate stylized points on a map.

Register Here!

October 2nd - Points on Your Map: Street Addresses and More Spatial Things

Do you have a list of street addresses crying out to be mapped? Have a list of zip codes or census tracts you wish to associate with other data? We’ll start with addresses and other things spatial and end with points on a map, ready for visualization and analysis.

Register Here!

October 9th - Taking Control of Your Spatial Data: Editing in ArcGIS Pro

Until we perfect that magic “extract all those lines from this paper map” button we’re stuck using editing tools to get that job done. If you’re lucky, someone else has done the work to create your points, lines, and polygons but maybe they need your magic touch to make them better. This session shows you how to create and modify vector features in ArcGIS Pro. We’ll explore tools to create new points, lines, and polygons and to edit existing datasets.

Register Here!

October 16th - Easy Demographics

Need to make a quick demographic map? This workshop will show you how easily navigate Social Explorer. This powerful online application makes it easy to create maps with contemporary and historic census data and religious information.

Register Here!

October 23rd - Introduction to ArcGIS Online

With ArcGIS Online, you can use and create maps and scenes, access ready-to-use maps, layers and analytics, publish data as web layers, collaborate and share, access maps from any device, make maps with your spreadsheet data, customize the ArcGIS Online website, and view status reports.

Register Here!

October 30th - ArcGIS Story Maps

ArcGIS StoryMaps is a spatially enabled website/application builder that allows you to add narrative and multimedia context to your ArcGIS Online maps (or locational context to your narrative and multimedia content, depending on how your brain works). Whether telling a story, giving a tour or comparing historical maps, ArcGIS StoryMaps is an easy-to-use builder that creates polished presentations.

Register Here!
 

For virtual attendees:

Unfortunately, we cannot provide access to ArcGIS Pro to our virtual attendees that aren’t affiliated with the University. To be clear, ArcGIS Pro is NOT required to virtually attend the sessions, but it is required to complete the hands-on exercises from the first six sessions on your own. The final two sessions cover ArcGIS Online which is browser-based and can be made available to everyone.

• For our virtual non-UVA attendees, unfortunately, we’re unable to provide ArcGIS Pro licenses. Our suggestion would be to take advantage of the GIS computers in the Scholars’ Lab or one of the public computer labs on Grounds. If that’s not feasible, another option is to acquire a personal use license.
• For our virtual attendees with a Mac computer, ArcGIS Pro is not Mac compatible. For UVA affiliates, the simplest solution is to take advantage of UVA’s Remote Apps which provides access to Pro. There are several ways to run Windows on a Mac, including a multi-boot utility like BootCamp or a virtual machine, both of which require expertise we’re unfortunately unable to provide.